Water damage from a broken pipe, a worn out water heater or other water supplied appliance can cause major property damage and serious financial consequences. The only certain method to guarantee that this does not occur is to shut off the main water line. Unfortunately, many people are incapable of locating the shut-off valve for their water line and may be physically unable to shut it off. Similar issues are encountered in the operation of other utility supply lines such as natural gas pipes. Accordingly, there exists a need for a means by which main water flow into a home, building or business can be easily, quickly and remotely shut off without the disadvantages as described above. The development of the invention herein described fulfills this need.
Several attempts have been made in the past to provide a means and a method for a quick and effective shut-off system for in-house utilities, especially main line water valves, particularly during extended periods of non-use. U.S. Pat. No. 6,612,536 issued to Dalton discloses a remote shut-off valve. This patent does not appear to disclose an apparatus that operates on demand using a wireless remote control.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,209,580 issued to Foster discloses a multifunction valve assembly. This patent does not appear to disclose an apparatus that operates on demand using a wireless remote control.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,607 issued to Caise discloses a microprocessor controlled water shut-off device. This patent does not appear to disclose an apparatus that operates on demand using a wireless remote control.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,003,536 issued to Polverari discloses an automatic shut-off valve that operates when it senses a leak in the system. This patent does not appear to disclose an apparatus that operates on demand using a wireless remote control.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,967,171 issued to Dwyer discloses a shut-off system for preventing water damage that operates when it detects a leakage of water in the system. This patent does not appear to disclose a solenoid to activate the control valve nor does the apparatus appear to operate on demand using a wireless remote control.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,653 issued to DeSmet discloses a water shut-off valve and control system that operates on a timer. This patent does not appear to disclose a control valve operated by a wireless remote control.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,348,269 issued to Moseley discloses an inline pneumatic/mechanical flow control valve system. This patent does not appear to disclose a control valve that operates on demand using a wireless remote control.